Railway-rail gage and guard.



G. KOMAREK & G. R. SOHLEIER.

RAILWAY RAIL GAGE AND GUARD APP IIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIII 4.

. Patented May 12, 1914.

COLUMBIA PLANODRAPN COQWAS c.

GUSTAV KOMAREK AND GEORGE R.

SCHLEIER, OF ST. LOUIS, MISSOURI.

. RAILWAY-RAIL GAGE AND GUARD.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented May 12, 1914.

Application filed January 24, 1914. Serial No. 814,097.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that we, Gus'rav KOMAREK and Greece R. SCIILETER, citizens of the United States, residing at St. Louis, Missouri, have invented a certain new and useful Improvement in Railway-Rail Gages and Guards, of which the following is a full, clear, and exact description, such as will enable others skilled in the art to which it appertains to make and use the same, reference being had to the accompanying drawings, forming part of this specification, in which Figure 1 a top plan view of our im proved rail guard and gage with a portion of a track rail shown in position at one end thereof. Fig. 2 is an elevational view of one end of the guard and gage and with the track rail shown in section. Fig. 3 is a horizontal section taken approximately on the line 3-3 of Fig. 2. Fig. 1 is a perspective view of one end of the gage bar, forming a part of our invention.

Our invention relates to new and useful improvements in railway track construction and more particularly to a combined gage and guard adapted for use between railway track rails.

Our present invention is an improvement upon a similar device for which Letters Patent of the United States No. 1,058,762, were issued to us April 15, 1913.

The principal objects of our present invention are to generally simplify and cheapen the cost of construction of the type of guard and gage shown in our patent above mentioned, and to provide a device composed of a minimum number of parts which can be easily assembled or taken apart, and which in addition to providing an accurate gage for the track rails, forms an effective tie or guard between said rails to prevent the same from spreading.

A further object of our invention is to provide the gage member and the rail engaging member with cooperating faces or shoulders having double angularity so as to bring the rails to their proper gage when the parts are applied thereto, and to also grip, lock and hold the rails permanently in proper position.

With the above and other objects in view, our invention consists in certain novel features of construction and arrangement of parts, hereinafter more fully described and claimed.

As shown in the accompanying drawings the gage member of our improved device consists of a metal bar 10, the ends of which are provided with integral heads 11 which are approximately twice the width of the main body portion of the bar. The bar 10 is preferably o't cmnmercial stock and the heads are preferably formed by upsetting the ends of the bars in any suitable manner n-ett'erably in a suitable hook. The outer lower corners of the heads 11. are notched as designated by 12 in order to receive the inner flanges of a pair of track rails, and the distance between the inner ends of these notches is such that when the inner flanges of a pair of track rails are properly positioned in said notches, said rails are properly gagcd or spaced apart. Thus, by the use of our improved gage bar it is possible to correctly position a pair of track rails without the use of the ordinary measuring devices and gage bars.

The shoulders 13 formed between the heads 11 and the main body portion of the bar 10 are inclined with respect to a vertical plane and also with respect to the corresponding or adjacent side faces of the bar 10 and heads 11, and formed through the bar 10 immediately adjacent to these inclined shoulders are apertures 1-ilwhich are adapted to receive the bolts utilized in fastening the rail engaging members to the gage bar.

The rail engaging members of our improved devicc comprise short metal bars 15 provided on their outer ends with upwardly presented hooks 16 which engage over the outer portions of the outer base flanges of the track rails. Formed integral with the inner ends of bars 15 are upwardly presented hooks 17, the inner faces 18 of which are inclined or beveled both vertically and horizontally so as to cooperate with the corresponding inclined or beveled shoulders 13 on the heads 11 when the device is assembled.

hen the rail engaging devices are applied to the ends of the gage bar 10, the heads 11 are positioned between the hooks 1.7 and the inner flanges of the track rails, as shown in Figs. 1 and 2. Hook 17 is provided with an aperture 19. which, when the device is assembled, coincides with the aperture 14: and the parts are attached to each other by a bolt 20 which passes through the coinciding apertures and receives a nut 21.

In assembling our improved device and applying the same to a pair of track rails the members 15 are positioned beneath the rails with the hooks 16 engaging the outer flanges of said rails. The gage bar 10 is now brought into position between the track rails and the parts manipulated so that the heads 11 are positioned between the hooks 17 and the inner base flanges of the track rails.

As hereinbefore stated the length of the bar 10 between the inner ends of the notches 12 forms the gage distance for the rails and when the rails are brought into position with the inner edges of the flanges in said notches, said rails will be set to proper gage and it will not be necessary to further gage or measure the distance between said rails. The bolts 20 are now inserted through the corresponding pairs of apertures 14: and 19, and as the nuts 21 are tightened on said bolts, the corresponding pairs of inclined or beveled faces 13 and 18 are brought into direct contact with each other, thereby looking the members 15 to the gage bar and consequently tying the track rails to each other.

In assembling our improved device and applying the same to a pair of track rails the double angularity of the faces 13 and 18 causes the rail engaging member 15 to be forced upward into engagement with the rail from the bottom and the end of the gage bar will be forced against the inner base flange of the rail from the top while a third and horizontal action brings the rails to proper gage. The tightening of the nut upon the bolt brings the angular faces 13 and 18 into close contact with each other, and as a result the base flanges of the rail are verytightly gripped by the members 15 and the heads 11 on the ends of the gage bar.

With the parts locked in proper position it is impossible to disturb the proper gage of the rails, and the bolts which look the parts of the device to each other are relieved of all shearing strains resulting from pressure applied to the rails from the inside, as is the case where car wheels are traveling upon the rails and there is tendency for the same to spread. The vertical movement of the gage bar with respect to the members 15 is automatically stopped when the undersides of the heads 11 contact with the top surfaces of the members 15 adjacent to the hooks 17.

A combined railway rail gage and guard of our improved construction is comparatively simple, comprises a minimum number of parts, and in addition to forming an effective tie between the track rails provides simple and accurate means whereby said rails are easily and quickly gaged or spaced the proper distance apart.

It will. be readily understood that minor changes in the size, form and construction of the various parts of our improved gage and guard may be made and substituted for those herein shown and described, without departing from the spirit of our invention, the scope of which is set fort-h in the appended claims.

VVe claim:

1. In a device of the class described, a gage bar, the ends of which are adapted to engage the inner base flanges of a pair of track "ails, hooked members adapted to be applied to the ends of said gage bar, which hooked members and gage bar are provided with cooperating faces having double angularity and means forfastening said members to said gage bar.

2A device of the class described comprising a gage bar provided on its ends with integral heads, adapted to engage the inner base flanges of a pair of track rails, hooked members adapted to engage said heads and the outer base flanges of the track rails, which hooked members and heads are provided with cooperating faces having double angularity, and means for fastening the hooked members to the gage bar.

3. In a device of the class described, a gage bar, heads on the ends thereof, which heads are notched to receive the inner base flanges of a pair of track rails, hooked mem bers adapted to engage said heads and the outer base flanges of the track rails, which hooked members and heads are provided with cooperating faces having double angularity and means for attaching the hooked members to the gage bar.

41. In a device of the class described, a gage bar provided at its ends with notches adapted to receive the inner base flanges of track rails, there being shoulders formed on said barnear its ends, which shoulders have double angularity, members adapted to engage the outer base flanges of the track rails, portions of which members engage the shoulders on the bar, and means for fastening the members to the gage bar.

5. In a device of the class described, a gage bar provided in its ends with notches spaced a predetermined distance apart, which notches are adapted to engage portions of a pair of track rails, and hooked members adapted to be applied to the ends of said gage bar which hooked members and gage bar are provided with cooperating faces having double angularity.

6. In a device of the class described, a gage bar provided in its ends with notches spaced a predetermined distance apart, which notches are adapted to engage portions of a pair of track rails, hooked members adapted to be applied to the ends of said gage bar, and means for fastening said members to said gage bar which hooked Cir members and gage bar are provided with cooperating faces having double singularity.

7. In a device of the class described, a gage bar adapted to be positioned between a pair of track ails, there being shoulders formed on said bar near its ends, which shoulders are inclined vertically and transversely, members adapted to engage parts of the track rails and the shoulders on the gage bar, and means for fastening said members to said gage bar.

8. In a device of the class described, a gage bar provided near its ends with inclined shoulders, hooked members adapted to engage a pair of track rails and hold the same against the ends of the gage bar, said hooked members being provided with inclined shoulders which engage the inclined shoulders on said gage bar.

9. In a device of the class described, a gage bar provided near its ends with inclined shoulders, hooked members adapted to engage a pair of track rails and hold the same against the ends of the gage bar, said hooked members being provided with inclined shoulders which engage the inclined shoulders on said gage bar, and means for fastening the rail engaging members to the gage bar.

10. A device of the class described, comprising a gage bar provided on its ends with integral heads which are notched to receive parts of a pair of track rails, the shoulders behind said heads being inclined, and hooked members adapted to engage the inclined shoulders behind said heads, and the outer base flanges of the track rails.

11. A device of the class described, comprising a gage bar provided on its ends with integral heads which are notched to receive parts of a pair of track rails, the shoulders behind said heads being inclined, hooked members adapted to engage the inclined shoulders behind said heads, and the outer base flanges of the track rails, and means for fastening said hooked members to the gage bar.

12. In a device of the class described, a gage bar, the ends of which are adapted to engage the inner base flanges of a pair of track rails, there being shoulders formed on said gage bar near its ends, rail engaging members provided with books which are adapted to engage the shoulders on the gage bar and the engaging faces on the hooks, and shoulders being inclined vertically and horizontally.

In testimony whereof, we have hereunto allixed our signatures in the presence of two subscribing witnesses.

GUSTAV KOMAREK. GEORGE R. SCI-ILEIER.

Witnesses to the signature of Gustav Komarek H. D. HOPKINS, K. H. C. S'ron'r.

Witnesses to the signature of George R. Schleier:

E. W. SMITH, C. K. CAnLsoN.

Copies of this patent may be obtained for five cents each, by addressing the Commissioner of Patents, Washington, I). 0. 

